« Politesse, mon cul ? » : transmission et transgression des rituels de politesse dans les albums jeunesse et le théâtre jeune public

Abstract

It has become commonplace to associate children's literature with the transmission of codes and values. Politeness, a ritualized and codified practice one must acquired at an early age, is traditionally a favorite subject in this line of work. However, contemporary youth theater seems to shun the subject, while picture books deliberately treat it in a humorous, even slightly transgressive way. Through an interdisciplinary approach (literature, sociology, educational sciences), the aim of this paper is to analyze the easing up of manners and their fictionalization in children’s literature. The selected examples show a de-dramatization in deviating from the rules, which makes it possible for the child to appropriate these rituals, seeing as he has been invited to exercise reflective self-regulation.

Keywords

• childhood
• education
• picture book
• socialization
• humor
• youth theater